Re: I Used To Be Fat

Dom's family definitely ended up being more supportive than the commercials made it seem. I think it was definitely hard for them to even think about changing their ways. In the end, it seemed like they had made some small changes. I was glad that Dom moved out to go to the culinary academy. Being away from his family will probably help him from falling back into old patterns.

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' - Isaac Asimov

I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"

Re: I Used To Be Fat

I was surprised when Dom's mother told the trainer that she (the mom) had lost 60 pounds! I don't mean to be rude, but it didn't look like it.

I was proud of Dom for standing by his decision to attend culinary school, and live on campus. We're led to believe that most Italian men don't leave home and their mothers.

I have to agree with you 64lbs is a lot of volume and I didn't see and I hate to say that. I didn't see it in her face or arms, maybe because she is so bottom heavy that is where the weight loss was. What really surprised me is that after 64lbs she only lost 2 pant sizes. Maybe because she is very disproportionally big down there that she needs to lose a 100lbs or more more it to really show. Well, I hope she continues to lose more and it is pretty obvious Dom continued on his weight loss journey cause it looked as if he dropped another 20 lbs. At the end of the show I hope there is a big of a reunion or follow up.

Re: I Used To Be Fat

I was a little saddened by previews for next week's episode, where her father was telling her that he wanted a story book romance for her, and for her to have that she would have to "fit that image." It felt like she might hear that as "to be worthy of romantic love, I need to be thin." Then what happens if she gains weight back? Does she feel unlovable? I'm glad he wants the change for her, but I wish he made it an issue of health.

Also, she looks like a bit of a whiny tantrum-thrower, from the preview. Hopefully she gets it in gear!

Re: I Used To Be Fat

Episode 3: Dominic 18 just graduated from high school somewhere outside of Chicago. Goals: wants to lose about 90lbs, assert his independence and live a healthier lifestyle, he wants to be a "great chef" and play tennis.

How did he get fat: He is from a big Italian family that he feels is addicted to food. Everyone is overweight on his mom's side of the family. In 6th or 7th grade when he was on the basketball team one of the kids called him fat. He didn't really think anything of it until he went home and really looked at himself with his uniform on. He isolated himself, and didn't participate in anything, blends into the background because he doesn't want to be rejected because he is fat. But isolating himself he ended up staying at home by himself and in turn with less activity because even heavier.

Stats: Dominic is 6'2" and weights 306lbs. He has a 110 days (approx 16 weeks) to lose 90lbs or 5lbs a week.

Saran Moore, his trainer, states that Dominic doesn't now how to self motivate himself and his mom to wants to help also doesn't know how to self motivate. While Dominic does puke he does not whine, but he doesn't seem very passionate about anything he is doing. I do like how Saran is trying to get him to push himself, to challenge himself to find the voice in his head that will push him.

Countdown from 110 days to 0 days.

Day 89 - aprox 3 weeks - 281.4lbs lost 24.6lbs

Day 82 - 1 week later - 276.6 lost another 4.8lbs for a total of 29.4lbs in 4 weeks.

Day 45 - 264.4 - another 12.2lbs for a total of 41.6lbs

With 14 days left Dominic announces that he will be going to a private culinary school and living downtown instead of the community college his mom wanted him to go to.

2 days left and Dominic is packing to move and his mom, Joann, gives him a wonderful supportive speech.

Day 0 - Dominic weights in at 219.4lbs - he has lost 86.6lbs in 110 days/16 weeks/4 months. A little over 21.6 lbs a month or 5.5lbs a week.

A month later Dominic visits home and it is obvious that he has trimmed off some more pounds and has a new haircut and new jeans. He family is amazed at how he looks. He mom, Joann, has also lost 64lbs.

Re: I Used To Be Fat

January 19, 2011 - episode 4 - Mackenzie

Where do they find these kids that live in these huge houses?

Doctor Ian Smith of Celebrity Fit Club on VH1 fame said in his The Fat Smash Diet book that people fall into 3 categories when losing weight. The easy loser who follow the minimun requirements of diet and exercise and can successful lose weight even cheating occassionally. The moderate loser who has to be much more careful following the diet and exercise and the hard loser who even when they faithfully follow the diet and exercise have an extremely hard time losing weight. Well, I think we have found our hard loser, Mackenzie. Surprisingly, Mackenzie is not a whiner. She did have her crash and burn times but much later in the program then previous participants in this program. I must admit I did think her brothers cruel in calling her names as she grew up but I am glad they acknowledge the fact. I am also glad the one brother did tell their father that Mackenzie needs to love herself and have self confidence and that dating or being with a guy was the the end all of her being. I do understand that her father wants her to be happy and taken care of but the message he was sending did tend to be rather negative that Mackenzie is unloveable and unwanted, not valuable unless she is thin. I am sure he did not intend that message but that was how it was coming across.

Stats:
Weight: 273lbs
Goal: lose 100lbs
Time: 99 days

Countdown:
Day 100: 273lbs
Day 85: 263.8lbs
Day 77: 261.0lbs
Day 20: 245.2lbs
Day 0: 224.8lbs

3 months
Total lost: 49lbs

3 months later visiting home: 197.6lbs

6 months
Total lost: 75.4lbs

You can really see the change in Mackenzie. That she continued excericising and eating right while away from home for the first time and lost another 27.2lbs is amazing. You can really see the change in her self confidence, she is glowing.

Re: I Used To Be Fat

January 26, 2010 - Jordan

I like Jordan's back story. He is from a family of substance abusers, he really does not go into too much detail but says he does not drink or do drugs because of the problems he saw growing up. His mother is/was a big time alcoholic and he went to live with his aunt when he was 6 yrs old. He has a lot of resentment toward his mother for not being there and so he turned to food and video games and really isolated himself. Jordan feels that he missed out on his childhood and high school yrs and wants to have a great time at college. He is really into sports and has a goal of being able to dunk a basketball by the end of the summer. He also wants to go to college and major in sports broadcasting.

Joey his trainer has one big personality and tats.

Jordan is 6'1" and weights 272.4lbs his goal is to lose 62lbs in 110 days and weight in at 210lbs.

Day 110 - 272.4
Day 103 - 258.4 - lost 14.0 lbs in one week

Joey takes Jordan grocery shopping and shows him how to cook a meal.

Day 89 - Graduation Day - Joey goes to his graduation. While Jordan has 10 tickets no one from his family is there (where is his Aunt Jenelle, that he lives with?). Jordan says his family is very negative and he has been told his whole life that he is no good, that he will never amount to anything and that he will never graduate, that he will never succeed.

Day 88 - cheated on his diet

Day 84 - not motivated has not been to the gym - weights in at 237 - lost 35lbs so far

Day 77 - weights in at 237 - gets yelled at by Joey

Day 64 - working out 6 hours a day

Day 55 - weights in at 212 has lost 60lbs - lost 25lbs in 3 weeks

With his shirt of Jordan still looks flabby in his torso.

Day 26 - gets contacts

Day 13 - gets tat on other arm

Day 3 - get hair cut

Day 1 - sees his mom - hasn't seen her in 1 yr

Day 0 - started at 272.4 lbs
- ended at 205.0 lbs
lost a total of 67.4lbs

Looks like he lost another 15 to 20 lbs (per my eye) and added 15 lbs of muscle (per Joey).